Someone, somewhere, long ago had a luxury to read bits of the Guide written by R K Narayan, lying almost naked next to another naked on a couch during a working day.. and how time stopped ticking and world of Narayan had come to feel just as much real then..


and here's the Dev Anand saying all I want to.. in a film Guide 

I'll survive - Gloria Gaynor song

First I was afraid
I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live
without you by my side
But I spent so many nights
thinking how you did me wrong
I grew strong
I learned how to carry on
and so you're back
from outer space
I just walked in to find you here
with that sad look upon your face
I should have changed my stupid lock
I should have made you leave your key
If I had known for just one second
you'd be back to bother me

Go on now go walk out the door
just turn around now
'cause you're not welcome anymore
weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye
you think I'd crumble
you think I'd lay down and die
Oh no, not I
I will survive
as long as i know how to love
I know I will stay alive
I've got all my life to live
I've got all my love to give
and I'll survive
I will survive

It took all the strength I had
not to fall apart
kept trying hard to mend
the pieces of my broken heart
and I spent oh so many nights
just feeling sorry for myself
I used to cry
Now I hold my head up high
and you see me
somebody new
I'm not that chained up little person
still in love with you
and so you felt like dropping in
and just expect me to be free
now I'm saving all my loving
for someone who's loving me

S D Burman sings 'Kehte hain gyani, duniya hain faani'

A poem by Otto Rene Castillo

it is quoted in John Abraham's Amma Ariyan.. and it is for my reference here
One day
the apolitical

intellectuals
of my country
will be interrogated
by the simplest
of our people.

They will be asked
what they did
when their nation died out
slowly,
like a sweet fire
small and alone.

No one will ask them
about their dress,
their long siestas
after lunch,
no one will want to know
about their sterile combats
with “the idea
of the nothing”
no one will care about
their higher financial learning.

They won’t be questioned
on Greek mythology,
or regarding their self-disgust
when someone within them
begins to die
the coward’s death.

They’ll be asked nothing
about their absurd
justifications,
born in the shadow
of the total lie.

On that day
the simple men will come.

Those who had no place
in the books and poems
of the apolitical intellectuals,
but daily delivered
their bread and milk,
their tortillas and eggs,
those who drove their cars,
who cared for their dogs and gardens
and worked for them,
and they’ll ask:

“What did you do when the poor
suffered, when tenderness
and life
burned out of them?”

Apolitical intellectuals
of my sweet country,
you will not be able to answer.

A vulture of silence
will eat your gut.

Your own misery
will pick at your soul.

And you will be mute in your shame.

What's wrong with being drunken ?

Be always drunken... nothing else matters; that is the only question... If you would not feel the horrible burden of time, weighing on your shoulders and crushing you to the earth, be drunken... continually.

Drunken with what? with wine, with poetry or with virtue, as you will.... But, be drunken.

And if sometimes, on the stairs of the palace or in the the green side of a ditch or in the dreary solitude of your own room, you should awaken and drunkenness be half or wholly slipped away from you.. ask of the wind, or of the wave,or of the star, or of the bird, or of the clock... of whatever flies or sighs or rocks or sings or speaks. Ask what hour it is? and the wind, wave, star, bird, clock will answer you: “It is hour to be drunken, to be drunken continually... with wine, with poetry or with virtue, as you will.

says Charles Baudelaire.

Gazal, this Morning

Faansle aise bhi honge
yeh kabhi socha na tha
saamne baitha tha mere
aur woh mera na tha...

Hoke khushbu ki tarah
failaa tha mere chaar_asu
main usse mehsoos kar sakta tha
chhoo sakta na tha...

Raatbhar pichhli hi aahat
kaan mein aati rahi
jhaank kar dekha gali mein
koi bhi aaya na tha...

Yaad kar_ke aur bhi
taqlif hoti thi adim
bhool jaane ke siva
ab koi bhi chaara na tha..

Faasle aise bhi honge
yeh kabhi socha na tha
Saamne baitha tha mere
aur woh mera na tha...

Faasle.. .. by Ghulam Ali

If I had half the sense (a fool was born with )

By Lefty Frizzel

Cheap thrills - David Allan Coe

">

Love the lyrics of this one. And I also like Drink Canada Dry sung by David Allan Coe.

Hamaari hi muththi mein aakash sara

Hamaari hi muththi mein akaash sara,

jab bhi khulegi chamkega tara...
kabhi na dhale jo, woh hi sitara
disha jis_se pehchane sanasar sara.

Hatheli pe rekhayen hain sab adhoori,

kisne likhi hain, nahin jaanna hain... 

suljhane unko na ayega koi,

samajhna hai unko yeh apna karm hain...

Apne karm se dikhana hain sabko, 

khudka panapnaa, ubharna hain khud ko... 

andhera mitaaye jo nanha sharara, 

disha jis_se pehchane sansar sara.... 

Hamare peechhe koi aaye na aaye, 

hamein hi toh pehle pahunchna wahaan hain.. 

jin par hain chalna nayi peedhiyon ko,

unhi raaston ko banaana hamein hain...

Jo bhi saath aaye unhe saath le le, 

agar na koi saath de toh, akele...

Sulgaa ke khudko mita dein andhera,

disha jis_se pehchaane sansaar sara...

Hamaari hi muththii mein aakash sara

jab bhi khulegi chamkega tara...
Kabhi na dhale jo, woh hi sitara
disha jis_se pehchane sansar sara...

Written by Mangesh Kulkarni, Sung by Manna Dey, beautifully composed with only Zils (Manjiraa) and Tabla by Laxmikant Pyarelal,  in a Movie by Nana Patekar, The Final Attack- Prahaar. I absolutely love this piece of work.

Long Nights (Into the Wild)

Have no fear

For when I'm alone
I'll be better off than I was before
I've got this light
I'll be around to grow
Who I was before
I cannot recall

Long long nights allow me to feel...
I'm falling...I am falling
The lights go out
Let me feel...I'm falling
I am falling, safely to the ground

I'll take this soul that's inside me now
Like a brand new friend
I'll forever know
I've got this light
and no will show
I will always be better than before..

By Taigu Ryokan (1758- 1831)

1.

Who says my poems are poems?
My poems are not poems.
When you know that my poems are not poems,
Then we can speak of poetry!

2.
Too lazy to be ambitious,
I let the world take care of itself.
Ten days' worth of rice in my bag;
a bundle of twigs by the fireplace.
Why chatter about delusion and enlightenment?
Listening to the night rain on my roof,
I sit comfortably, with both legs stretched out.

3.
My house is buried in the deepest recess of the forest
Every year, ivy vines grow longer than the year before.
Undisturbed by the affairs of the world I live at ease,
Woodmen’s singing rarely reaching me through the trees.
While the sun stays in the sky, I mend my torn clothes
And facing the moon, I read holy texts aloud to myself.
Let me drop a word of advice for believers of my faith.
To enjoy life’s immensity, you do not need many things.

4.
First days of spring -- the sky
is bright blue, the sun huge and warm.
Everything's turning green.
Carrying my monk's bowl, I walk to the village
to beg for my daily meal.
The children spot me at the temple gate
and happily crowd around,
dragging to my arms till I stop.
I put my bowl on a white rock,
hang my bag on a branch.
First we braid grasses and play tug-of-war,
then we take turns singing and keeping a kick-ball in the air:
I kick the ball and they sing, they kick and I sing.
Time is forgotten, the hours fly.
People passing by point at me and laugh:
"Why are you acting like such a fool?"
I nod my head and don't answer.
I could say something, but why?
Do you want to know what's in my heart?
From the beginning of time: just this! just this!

5.
Yes, I’m truly a dunce, I live alone
befriended by trees and herbs.
Too lazy to learn right from wrong,
This old fellow just likes to smile to himself.
Lifting my bony shanks, I cross the stream,
a sack in my hand, blessed by spring weather.
That’s my life,
And the world owes me nothing.

6.

Your finger points to the moon,
but the finger is blind until the moon appears.
What connection has moon and finger?
Are they separate objects or bound?
This is a question for beginners
wrapped in seas of ignorance.
Yet one who looks beyond metaphor
knows there is no finger; there is no moon.

7.

No luck today on my mendicant rounds;
From village to village I dragged myself.
At sunset I find myself with miles of mountains between me and my hut.
The wind tears at my frail body,
And my little bowl looks so forlorn --
Yes this is my chosen path that guides me
Through disappointment and pain, cold and hunger.
Originally written in Japanese. Pen name- Great fool. 

A song from Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Anand

">


Zindagi ...kaisi hai paheli, haaye
kabhi to hansaaye
kabhi ye rulaaye
Zindagi...

Kabhi dekho mann nahi jaage
peechhe peechhe sapno ke bhaage
ek din sapno ka raahi
chalaa jaaye sapno ke aage kahaan !
Zindagi...

Jinhone sajaaye yaha mele
sukh-dukh sang-sang jhele
wahi chunkar khaamoshi
yoon chale jaaye akele kaha ?
Zindagi...

Swar Aale Duruni ( in Marathi)

स्वर आले दुरुनी
जुळल्या सगळ्या त्या आठवणी.

निर्जीव उसासे वाऱ्यांचे
आकाश फिकटल्या ताऱ्यांचे
कुजबुजही नव्हती वेलींची
हितगुजही नव्हते पर्णांचे
ऐशा थकलेल्या उद्यानी
स्वर आले दुरुनी
जुळल्या सगळ्या त्या आठवणी.

विरहार्त मनाचे स्मित सरले
गालावर आसू ओघळले
होता हृदयाची दो शकले
जखमेतुन क्रंदन पाझरले
घाली फुंकर हलकेच कुणी

स्वर आले दुरुनी
जुळल्या सगळ्या त्या आठवणी.

पडसाद कसा आला न कळे
अवसेत कधी का तम उजळे
संजीवन मिळता आशेचे
निमिषात पुन्हा जग सावरले
किमया असली का केलि कुणी
स्वर आले दुरुनी
जुळल्या सगळ्या त्या आठवणी.

...
Written by- यशवंत देव
Composed by- प्रभाकर जोग
Sung by- सुधीर फडके

Toch Chandrama Nabhat (in Marathi)

तोच चंद्रमा नभात , तीच चैत्र यामिनी
एकांती मज समीप, तीच तूही कामिनी
तोच चंद्रमा नभात...

नीरवता ती तशीच, धूंद तेच चांदणे

छायांनी रेखियले, चित्र तेच देखणे

जाईचा कुंज तोच, तीच गंधमोहीनी
एकांती मज समीप, तीच तूही कामिनी
तोच चंद्रमा नभात...

सारे जरी ते तसेच, धुंदी आज ती कुठे ?
मी ही तोच, तीच तूही, प्रीती आज ती कुठे ? 

ती न असता उरात, स्वप्न ते न लोचनी
एकांती मज समीप, तीच तूही कामिनी
तोच चंद्रमा नभात...
त्या पहिल्या प्रीतीच्या, आज लोपल्या खुणा
वाळल्या फुलात व्यर्थ, गंध शोधतो पुन्हा

गीत ये न ते जुळून, भंगल्या सुरातुनी
एकांती मज समीप, तीच तूही कामिनी

तोच चंद्रमा नभात...
[A fine song. Sung & composed beautifully by Sudheer Phadke and written by Shanta Shelke.]

Thoda sa Rumani

Rasta akela ho,
har taraf andhera ho,
raat bhi ho ghaatki,
din bhi lutera ho,
yahi toh hain mausam,
yahi toh hain mausam,
aao tum aur hum,
dard ko bansuri banaye
thoda sa rumani ho jaye
mushkil hain jina
ummid ke bina
thode se sapne sajayae
thoda sa rumani ho jaye...

Baadlo ka naam na ho,
ambar ke gaav mein
jalta ho jungle khud,
apni chhav mein
yahi toh hain mausam
yahi toh hain mausam
aao tum aur hum
baarish ke nagme gungaye
thoda sa rumani ho jaye
mushkil hain jina
ummid ke bina
thode se sapne sajaye,
thoda sa rumani ho jaye....

[Lyrics of a beautiful title track of thoda sa rumani ho jaye. A simple poem beautifully composed.

Music: Bhaskar Chandavarkar, Lyrics: Kamalesh Pande.]

Deconstructing Harry Title Track

My analyst told me
That I was right out of my head
The way he described it
He said I'd be better dead than live
I didn't listen to his jive
I knew all along
That he was all wrong
And I knew that he thought
I was crazy but I'm not
Oh no

My analyst told me
That I was right out of my head
He said I'd need treatment
But I'm not that easily led
He said I was the type
That was most inclined
When out of his sight
To be out of my mind
And he thought I was nuts
No more ifs or ands or buts

They say as a child
I appeared a little bit wild
With all my crazy ideas
But I knew what was happening
I knew I was a genius...
What's so strange when you know
That you're a wizard at three
I knew that this was meant to be

Now I heard little children
Were supposed to sleep tight
That's why I got into the vodka one night
My parents got frantic
Didn't know what to do
But I saw some crazy scenes
Before I came to
Now do you think I was crazy
I may have been only three
But I was swinging

They all laugh at angry young men
They all laugh at Edison
And also at Einstein
So why should I feel sorry
If they just couldn't understand
The idiomatic logic
That went on in my head
I had a brain
It was insane
Oh they used to laugh at me
When I refused to ride
On all those double decker buses
All because there was no driver on the top

My analyst told me
That I was right out of my head
But I said dear doctor
I think that it's you instead
Because I have got a thing
That's unique and new
To prove it I'll have
The last laugh on you
'Cause instead of one head
I got two
And you know two heads are better than one.

By Gulzar

साँस लेना भी कैसी आदत है 
जीये जाना भी क्या रवायत है 
कोई आहट नहीं बदन में कहीं 
कोई साया नहीं है आँखों में 
पाँव बेहिस हैं, चलते जाते हैं 
इक सफ़र है जो बहता रहता है 
कितने बरसों से, कितनी सदियों से 
जिये जाते हैं, जिये जाते हैं 

आदतें भी अजीब होती हैं |

वो जो शायर था चुप सा रहता था
बहकी-बहकी सी बातें करता था
आँखें कानों पे रख के सुनता था 
गूँगी खामोशियों की आवाज़ें!
जमा करता था चाँद के साए
और गीली सी नूर की बूँदें
रूखे-रूखे से रात के पत्ते
ओक में भर के खरखराता था
वक़्त के इस घनेरे जंगल में
कच्चे-पक्के से लम्हे चुनता था
हाँ वही, वो अजीब सा शायर
रात को उठ के कोहनियों के बल
चाँद की ठोड़ी चूमा करता था

चाँद से गिर के मर गया है वो
लोग कहते हैं ख़ुदकुशी की है |

HONESTY

If you search for tenderness

it isn't hard to find.

You can have the love you need to live.

But if you look for truthfulness

You might just as well be blind.

It always seems to be so hard to give.

Honesty is such a lonely word.

Everyone is so untrue.

Honesty is hardly ever heard.

And mostly what I need from you.

I can always find someone

to say they sympathize.

If I wear my heart out on my sleeve.

But I don't want some pretty face

to tell me pretty lies.

All I want is someone to believe.

Honesty is such a lonely word.

Everyone is so untrue.

Honesty is hardly ever heard.

And mostly what I need from you.

I can find a lover.

I can find a friend.

I can have security until the bitter end.

Anyone can comfort me

with promises again.

I know... I know...

When I'm deep inside of me

don't be too concerned.

I won't as for nothin' while I'm gone.

But when I want sincerity

tell me where else can I turn.

Because you're the one I depend upon.

Honesty is such a lonely word.

Everyone is so untrue.

Honesty is hardly ever heard.

And mostly what I need from you.

I love this song, every line of it, written and composed by Billy Joel. Honesty means quality of being honest. Every dictionary tells what is honest, but it can only be understood by personal experience. I revere Mohandas K Gandhi maybe because the man wrote his autobiography- an account of his life and called it nothing else but 'Experiments with Truth'. And, now there are people who say 'don't make big deal of honesty and truth, these aren't the greatest virtues to live life by! ' May be. May be not. I don't know. 

I think personal conviction, bonding with others, loyalty, sincerity, honesty, virtuousness all are linked intrinsically. Disloyalty, lies, dishonesty hurt and break us like nothing else. Those rare relationships which we find difficult to catagorise into frindship, love and etcetera are mainly based on honesty and some underlying need.